


Mrs. Riddle (Tomione Crack Fic)

by Fuckedtomione, RiddleMeThis (MarinoSakuraba)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Crack, F/M, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuckedtomione/pseuds/Fuckedtomione, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarinoSakuraba/pseuds/RiddleMeThis
Summary: Hermione Granger is eighteen and pregnant when her boyfriend kicks her out. She accidentally ends up on a train where she meets Harry Riddle and his wife Luna who is pregnant. The train wrecks and she wakes up in the hospital to find out that it's been assumed that she's Luna. Harry's mother takes her in and she falls in love with Harry's brother Tom. Just when she thinks everything is going her way, her ex-boyfriend shows up.Tomione crack fic based on Mrs. Winterbourne.





	1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger grew up in a lower-class Brighton suburb. Her Mother passed when she was twelve. Her father and her just never did get along so at 18, she decided to give them both breathing room. Mother always said "Destiny is waiting for you, you just have to go find it." If you're looking for fate, try London and guess who she met that very first day?

 

"Hi." Smiled the sleazy looking stranger. "What's that behind your ear?" He pulled a business card from behind her ear.

"Neat." she forced a smile.

"Cormac McLaggen" he smiled at her.

"It's nice. But it doesn't say what you do." Hermione spoke twisting the card in her hands.

"Good cards, don't do that. It's too showy. See, I'm an agent." He flashed her a crooked grin.

"Wow! For who?" Hermione smiled, something he said finally peaking her interest.    

"I'm not at liberty to say. It's professional ethics, so how old are you?" he said, as they walked down the street.

"Eighteen. Today's my birthday," Hermione smiled.

"You're shitting me. You seem so mature." The older man smiled down at her. "That's it. We gotta celebrate." He laughed.

 

*

 

"Happy birthday!" Cormac sang, as he brought a Snowball pastry with a candle to the couch.

"For me?" Hermione gasped, shocked that someone she had only just met would do something so sweet for her. Cormac told her she was both beautiful and unappreciated. The only thing a teenage girl wants to hear. And of course, she fell for it and moved into his flat the next day.

It was okay for a while, Maybe he didn't give her flowers, but... She sure had her pick of stolen car radios. The important thing was, he took care of her and he didn't ask for too much in return. But if this was supposed to be her big destiny thing... she was expecting a little more. All she could do was ask for a sign...

 

*

 

"I'm pregnant! Isn't this great?" Hermione smiled at Cormac, showing him the positive pregnancy test.

"What do you mean you're pregnant?" Cormac asked. Hermione could only roll her eyes.

"What do you mean, "What do I mean"I took a test and it came out positive." Hermione asked getting agitated, how stupid could one man be?

"You're gonna tell me it's mine?" He asked, getting louder.

"Of course it is. I mean, who else?" She was yelling now, too. Especially if he was going to do this in front of his friends.

"Don't give me that shit! You screwed Hermione, didn't you?" he yelled at Vinny Crabbe, his closest friend.

"No, man, never." Vinny shook his head rapidly.

"I said, "Did you screw Hermione?" Cormac repeated, gesturing with his hands this time.

"Oh sure, I did. Yeah, lots." Vinny answered, finally catching on.

"Slut. Get rid of it." He barked at her.

"I'm not getting rid of it!" She yelled back at him, resulting in him kicking her out of his flat.

 

* 

 

So ends Hermione Granger's brief history with men. After that, she just kept getting bigger. She was fired as a waitress, the uniform didn't fit anymore. She was about to spend her first night on the streets. She went to the only place she could think of, back to Cormac's.

"It's Hermione! I'm about to have your baby in the street. Come watch!" she yelled while pressing the buzzer.

"Cormac's out at the moment." A female voice replied, right as the sky opened up and started to pour down rain.

"Hey! I need a place to stay! You owe me that!" She yelled towards where she knew his window was. The window was pulled open and two figures appeared, one she instantly recognized as Cormac, the other a woman with fire red hair.

"This ain't home!" Cormac shouted down to her.

"You owe me at least this!" Hermione yelled back, having to squint her eyes due to the heavy rain.

"You don't want me to come down there." He yelled again, face getting red with anger.

"I want you to come down here!" She yelled getting angrier as the rain soaked through her clothes.

"I'm not coming down there!" Cormac shouted, going to close the window.

"I'm telling you, I have nowhere to go! I have no money!" Hermione yelled, pleading now.

"Here. You wanted to have a baby? Fine. Have it in the street." Cormac threw a one pound coin down to the street and slammed the window closed.

 

*

 

"Don't try to blow me off like that." The red headed women spoke from Cormac's bed.

"Get over here, Gin." He laughed pulling her into his arms.

 

*

 

Hermione didn't know where to go as she walked in the rain one hand on her pregnant belly, and the other shielding her eyes from the rain. She found herself outside the train station, and all she could think about was finally getting out of this horrid rain.

"Can you spare some change?" asked a homeless man, sitting by a staircase leading to an awaiting train. Hermione tried to ignore him, knowing she needed each penny she had left. "No? I can help you to your train." He spoke again, grabbing Hermione's upper arm.

"Get your hands off me. Don't touch me! Nobody touches me!" Hermione yelled, her hands protectively over her stomach.

"Somebody touched you." He spoke, eyeing her stomach. "Here. I was saving it. But, go on, take it." The man handed her his cup of change.

"Gee." Hermione muttered, at a loss for words.

"And here's a shelter on the West Side. I mean, they pray at you, but the food's okay." he said pointing on a map, before handing it to her.

"Thanks. Wait a second!" She called as the train that had just arrived started to board.

"Look out!" The nice homeless man yelled after her.

"Hold it. Wait." She yelled into the crowd surrounding her but to no avail, as she was pushed onto the train.

"Board!" The speakers practically screaming to be heard over the chaos. 

This isn't the subway Hermione realized, panic flooding her system as the final boarding announcement echoed through the crowded train and the doors slammed shut.

"Hey, where does this train go?" she asked the lady nearest to her.

"Manchester." The woman answered before returning to her book.

"Tickets! Tickets! Tickets!" An old elderly man called, finally reaching her. 

"Mister, please!" Hermione spoke pretending to be riffling through her bag, hoping he might give her a pass.

"Ticket!" He said impatiently.

"My husband must have it. Cormac!" She started to yell, looking in every direction.

"Ticket." The Elderly ticket-taker said again, his voice even louder this time causing people to stare.

"I have her tickets, sir." A handsome man with round glasses, and sharp cheekbones spoke up cutting through the crowd to hand the tickets to the ticket-taker.

"Told you I had a husband." Hermione spoke snippily to the rude elderly man.

"Of course she has. I mean, look at her. Or are you implying something about my wife?" The handsome man said, still eyeing the older, and much shorter man.

"No, sir! Sorry, sir." And with that the ticket-taker moved on to a different cart.

"Wow, thanks! I've had a rough couple of days. We're not really married, are we?" Hermione half asked half joked, finally getting a better look at the man who saved her skin.

"No, we're not." He laughed. "You look very thirsty. Would you like a soda?" He asked, already handing her the glass in his hand.

"Thank you." She smiled gratefully.

"You're welcome. Let's go sit down." He said leading her towards where a sign stated the compartments were.

"Really?" She asked, unsure if he really wanted her to go with him.

"I'm telling you, you'll never find a seat. I had no idea it would be this crowded. I forgot about spring break. Those college days seem a million miles away." He laughed opening the door to a particular compartment, revealing a beautiful pregnant woman with white blonde hair, who was giving the handsome stranger a very confused look.

"Luna." He said her name lovingly.

"Harry." She said his name with just as much love, but her expression was still very confused.  "Is there something I should know?" Luna said, now making eye contact with Hermione.

"I picked up a pregnant woman in the club car." Harry said grinning at her.

"He has a thing for us." Luna laughed. "Did you get my drink?" She looked to Harry now.

"He gave it to me." Hermione answered for Harry, holding the drink for Luna to see.

"I like her better than you." Harry joked causing Luna to giggle.

"Would you get me another one?" Luna asked sweetly, pushing a strand of her white blonde hair behind her ear.

"Why not? I mean, who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky again. Play nice." Harry laughed, turning to leave the compartment. 

"Hi." Luna smiled brightly at Hermione, not bothered at all that her husband had brought a random woman into their compartment.

"My name's Hermione." Just then the train lurched forward. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry." Hermione quickly apologized after spilling her drink all over Luna's shirt.

"It's all right. That's okay. Hardly anything." Luna laughed it off, brushing off Hermione's obvious distress.

"I'll clean that right up. Here. I'm so sorry." Hermione pulled a ratty old cloth from her bag, and started to try and dry Luna's shirt. Luna gently brushed Hermione off, going to open a chest nearby and pulled a beautiful handkerchief from it to dab the remains away. 

"I've got... Here. Here we go." Luna smiled placing the handkerchief back into the chest. "No problem. So, how far along are you?" Luna asked, sitting down next to Hermione.

"Oh, I don't know. Eight, nine months." Hermione spoke, shifting in the uncomfortable chair.

"You know, you are my first British conversation." Luna laughed lightly. "I've lived in Hong Kong since I was eight." She finished smiling again at Hermione as she played with the ring on her finger, twisting it this way and that.

"Yeah? We throw soda now. It's a new thing." Hermione joked causing Luna to laugh for at least five minutes. 

"Anyway, I'm going meet Harry's family." Luna said finally calming down enough to get words out. "I'm so nervous. Oh, my God! You're soaked, aren't you? Put it on." Luna handed her a clean, dry, and beautiful top and shaw, when she noticed that Hermione was shivering.

"Yeah?" Hermione answered unsure.

"Oh, I insist." Luna smiled. "Anyway, my dad was a banker. About a year ago, my dad died. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't have anybody. I don't even remember my mom." Luna spoke playing with her ring again.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said sympathetically, placing a hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"Feet get big when you're pregnant." Luna laughed, looking at their feet next to each other. "And look at my fingers. Like hot dogs. I have to get this ring off." She said pulling the beautiful wedding ring off of her finger with such force that it fell into the floor. "Shoot!" Luna said dropping to her knees to find it.

"Oh, no!" Hermione dropped to the floor to help Luna look for it.

'"Dear Penthouse, I thought it would be a lonely ride..." Harry started as he entered the compartment seeing the two pregnant women on the floor. "There's an empty table. If we move right now, we can eat. Yes?"

"Be right there." Luna called as he left the compartment. "He'll kill me if I lose it." Luna said still looking for the ring on the floor.

"I'll get it." Hermione said when she spotted it in the corner of the compartment.

"I got it." Luna who was closer said, picking up the ring herself.

"Wow. God, it's beautiful." Hermione said, finally getting a closer look at the ring.

"Thank you. Thanks." Luna smiled at the ring, before showing Hermione the inscription on the inside of it.  _Luna and Harry, Always_

 "That's so sweet." Hermione said reading the ring.

"Go ahead, try it on." Luna laughed, handing the ring to Hermione.

"Isn't that bad luck?" Hermione said, about to refuse.

"I couldn't have bad luck." Luna smiled fondly, most likely thinking of Harry. "We gotta go." Luna said turning towards the compartment door, as Hermione slipped the ring onto her finger. The train suddenly lurched roughly from side to side. Luna was thrown into the hall, the compartment door slammed shut trapping Hermione in the small space. Hermione tried to steady herself, but the train lurched again. Hermione's head hit a sharp corner, hard, knocking her unconscious.

 

*

 

Hermione woke up to bright lights, her hand instinctively going to her stomach. Panic immediately flooded her system when she felt her stomach noticeably smaller than before. "My baby!" Hermione screamed, tears blurring her vision. 

"Careful, honey." A nurse came in, quickly attempting to clam Hermione down.

"Where's my baby?" Hermione asked, a tear sliding down her cheek, hand still on her stomach.

"Your baby's fine." The nurse said, pressing a button that Hermione could only assume added a sedative into her IV.

"What?" Hermione asked, suddenly very tired.

"Your baby's fine." The nurse reassured a still panicking Hermione.

"I want to see him. Her, it, whatever!" Hermione called, as the nurse went to leave the room.

"We'll see what we can do." The nurse replied calmly.

"What you can do is bring me my baby!" Hermione said getting angrier by the minute.

"Yes, ma'am." The nurse said quickly exiting the room. Hermione waited for close to five minutes, and was contemplating pulling the IV out of her arm and getting her baby herself. The door opened revealing the nurse she wasn't particularly fond of, and a little bundle wrapped in blue.

"There you are." Hermione spoke softly as the nurse handed her the little baby. "You're so sweet. Just like a little cookie." Hermione said to the baby. The nurse tried to unbutton her hospital gown, and Hermione hated the nurse even more. "Hey, leave me alone! I know what I'm doing!" She hissed at the nurse, watching her leave the room having given up helping Hermione. "Mommy doesn't really know what she's doing. She was lying." She smiled at her baby.

Two legs. Two arms. Hands. Toes. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Eleven!? No, no. Ten toes." Hermione counted, before unraveling the blanket the baby was wrapped in. "Oh, you're my little boy. You be careful with that, cookie. Those things can do a lot of damage."  Hermione finally took the time to look at the room she was in, it was big and filled with flowers and baby gifts. She was very confused, who would send her all of this? Hermione looked at the little name tag on her baby boy's wrist. It said  _Baby Riddle_. Oh shit. They gave her the wrong baby. She rapidly started to press the call button.

"Nurse! Miss! Miss, you brought me the wrong baby!" Hermione yelled, hoping the nurse hadn't gone too far. "It's too bad. You're a nice one." She said to the baby this time, smiling sadly. Her attention was suddenly brought to her own wrist, noticing it said  _Mrs. Riddle_

"Mrs. Riddle? What?" Hermione asked, She had no idea what was going on here.

"How're you feeling?" The nurse asked upon entering the room and seeing the look on her face.

"You guys got this all screwed up I a-" Hermione started but was interrupted by the Nurse.

"Wouldn't be a first. Remember the accident?" The nurse spoke unsurely now, not knowing how to approach the subject.

"I was in a train wreck! Who'd forget a train wreck? How long have I been here?" Hermione said, now thinking out loud.

 "About eight days." The nurse replied still eyeing Hermione with pity.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked, wondering if the train made it to Sheffield before crashing.

"You're at St. Declan Hospital right outside of Manchester." She said checking Hermione's vitals for what felt like third time since she had woken up.

"There was another pregnant lady on the train." Hermione said, hoping to sort this whole mistaken identity thing out.

"Did you know her?" The nurse asked, even more pity filled her eyes if that was even possible.

"Did? Oh, Jesus, God! Is she dead?!" Hermione asked, tears prickling her eyes. Even though Hermione didn't know Luna for long, she was incredibly sweet and trusting. She definitely didn't deserve to die so young.

"Mrs. Riddle..." The nurse, who's name tag said Ava, started trying to calm Hermione down before thing got out of hand. Again.

"Will you please stop calling me that!" Hermione snapped, as the nurse pulled out a needle and punctured the IV tube.  "What's that? What the hell is this?!" Hermione asked as she started to feel tired.

"Nothing. Something to relax you." Nurse Ava said.

"I don't need to relax! I need to straighten this..." Hermione's eyes started to close, she left the weight in her arms leave. "Wait. Where're you going with him Listen to me. I'm not..." And with that she was asleep.

 

*

 

Hermione stood outside of the Nursery, watching  _Baby Riddle,_ Her baby.

"Did Dr. Carter say we could walk?" Nurse Ava said, coming up behind Hermione and placing her hands on her shoulders.

"There's something important I must tell you." Hermione said, she was going to come clean, she had to.

"Are we going have a bad day? I thought we'd have a good day." Nurse Ava said, leading Hermione back to her room.

"We'll be good. It'll be good. I sounded hysterical before, so you didn't want to listen to me. I'm going to be really calm this time... when I tell you there's been one major mistake!" Hermione said, her voice raising when she noticed the patronizing look the nurse was giving her.

"Is that so?" Nurse Ava mused.

"Yes, it's so! Look, I have to talk to Harry!" Hermione raised her voice, she noticed how Nurse Ava wouldn't meet her eyes anymore.

"Oh, no! Not him too! Oh, God, no! No!" Hermione cried, not knowing what to do anymore.

 

*

 

Cormac opened his door to see two detectives standing there, one leaning against the door frame casually.

"We Found this card in her purse. Hermione Granger?" The casual detective asked, eyeing Cormac suspiciously.

"No, I'm sorry. I never heard of her." Cormac deadpanned, not quite making eye contact.

"How'd she get your card?" The other detective asked.

"I give those to every hot chick I meet. You should try it." Cormac flashed the detectives his sleaziest smile.

"I'll remember that." The casual detective said, only now putting his badge away.

"Sorry I couldn't help you out." Cormac said closing the door behind the detectives. He made his way into his bedroom, seeing Ginny lounging in one of his t-shirts.

"Hermione's dead." Cormac said to Ginny, who looked up from the television when he walked into the room.

"Who's Hermione?" Ginny asked, lazily filing her nails.

"The bitch who yelled at the window." He reminded her, sitting on the bed beside her. "She was gonna have my baby. Makes you think, doesn't it?" 

 

*

 

"Okay, cookie. We're going." Hermione said as she packed her bags in a hurry, wanting to leave as fast as possible before they realized that she wasn't Luna Riddle. A loud ringing was echoing through the room as Hermione threw more diapers into her bag.

"Whose telephone is that? Is that your telephone, Mrs. Riddle? Is everything okay? Is everything okay, Mrs. Riddle? Aren't you going to answer?" Nurse Ava said coming into the room.

"Is that what that is? I thought it was a ringing in my ears!" Hermione laughed, going over to answer the phone. "Hello?" Hermione asked, still getting sympathetic looks from the nurse assigned to her.

"Hello? This is Mrs. Riddle" The voice on the other end of the phone said, causing Hermione to panic. 

"What?" Hermione said. It sounded rude but Hermione had no idea what to do.

"Harry's mother. Luna?" The voice questioned, causing Hermione's stomach to burn with guilt.

"I feel so awful about this." Hermione started, but was quickly cut off by Harry's mother. "I know, we all do." 

"Yeah. No. Jesus, this is difficult." Hermione didn't know where to start, but she simply could not lie to the woman.

"I wanted to see you. The doctors say I can't travel. You don't have to talk now, dear. You don't have any family here, so consider our house..." Mrs. Riddle said and Hermione had to stop her there.

"That's nice, but..." She should have known the woman wouldn't take 'No' for an answer. 

"I'm your mother-in-law. Don't argue. That's my grandson you've got there." Mrs. Riddle spoke matter-of-factly. "I've sent a car for you." 

"No, no, you can't do that!" Hermione argued, even after being told specifically not too.

" ...be expecting you." And with that Hermione heard a click, she sat on the bed with her baby in her arms, dumbstruck. For the first time in her life Hermione couldn't think of a way out of the situation she had somehow gotten herself stuck in.

"Mrs. Riddle?" Asked a man Hermione didn't recognize, he had white blond hair and very aristocratic looking features.

"No." Hermione answered, thinking this could be a member of Luna's family even though she had said she was an orphan.

"That's what it says." The man said reading the patient information sheet attached to the door. He walked into the room, Hermione noticed he was dressed in a very nice, tailored suit.

"Don't believe that." Hermione said, as the man helped her gather her stuff. He told her he was the Riddle family's butler as he helped her to the elevator.  He even helped her check out. Apparently Luna had excellent health insurance, so everything from the c section to the stitches on her forehead was covered.

"What's this?" Hermione gasped upon seeing the fanciest car she'd ever seen in her life.

"This is a Rolls-Royce." The butler said, starting to put the baby stuff, and the baby in the really nice car. "That's like the Cadillac of automobiles, huh?" Hermione said, not knowing anything about cars. She climbed into the backseat when the butler opened the opposite door for her. She put her seat belt on and smiled down at her sleeping baby.

"No, the Mercedes-Benz is the Cadillac of automobiles. This is a Rolls-Royce." He explained nicely, getting into the front seat and starting the car. Hermione had never heard a car engine that sounded so elegant.

"Hey, look, I have to explain something..." She started, guilt eating her alive at this point, when she thought about her baby living a lie.

"You don't have explain to me. I'm just Abraxas, the butler. You explain to Mrs. Riddle. Okay, Mrs. Riddle?" He said as the car started to pass beautiful estates and winding hills.

"Do I look the way you expected me to?" Hermione said exasperated, knowing she had let this go on way too long and now no one would believe her.

"Not really. Harry was always stuck on blonds. You know, tall and pretty, not very smart." Abraxas said, making eye contact through the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, well, he got tired of those. So he never sent any pictures of me?" Hermione said wondering how long this lie actually could go on before she was possibly arrested for identity theft.

"Harry didn't like cameras. You have to develop the film, remember to pick it up. Too much responsibility." Abraxas laughed, smiling sadly as he remembered the sweet man Hermione had only met briefly.

"That's Harry." Hermione said, looking down at her hands. She didn't know what to say after that, and so the rest of the car ride was silent. She assumed he was thinking of how Harry, truly was gone too soon. She felt horrible, this family had lost a son, someone they loved so dearly and here she was giving them false hope that they still had a part of him left. Hermione looked down at her baby who was now awake and watching her intently. He had brown hair that seemed to already be curling at the ends, his eyes were a light shade of blue that she hoped was the only thing he had gotten from Cormac. 

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when the car came to a stop, outside of the biggest house she had ever seen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello, Luna." Was the first thing Hermione heard when Abraxas escorted her into the giant house. She looked at the older woman that was making her way over wrapping her arms around Hermione and the baby.

"Something terrible's happened." Hermione started, ready to come clean about the whole situation.

"Yes, I know." Harry's mother smiled reassuringly. 

"I know you had something terrible happen... but your terrible thing and mine are two different things." Hermione tried to explain, holding her baby closer to her letting her fingers brush through his sweet little curls.

"I understand. You lost a husband and I lost a son." Mrs. Riddle said, not taking her eyes off of the baby in Hermione's arms.

"Do you want to hold..." Hermione offered willing to give the sweet mourning mother this kindness before she devastated the woman all over again.

"My grandson. It's been so long since I've done this." She laughed, as she held the baby like a professional. 

"You're doing great." Hermione said, returning the woman's enthusiastic smile.

"What did you name him?" The woman asked, rocking the baby in her arms.

"Cookie?" Hermione asked, realizing she hadn't actually named him yet.

"Pardon?" Harry's mother asked abruptly. 

"I was just trying it out. I haven't decided." Hermione laughed awkwardly.

"Have you thought of Harry?" Mrs. Riddle asked hopefully. "What about James? It was Harry's middle name." She smiled fondly down at the baby she was holding. "He looks just like him. Harry James Riddle Jr."

"Okay. Sure. Fine." Hermione said not wanting to argue with someone in mourning.

"Harry it is. I miss him so much." She said snuggling the baby closer to her chest.

"Mother?" A voice called from the top of the staircase, Hermione's eyes widened upon seeing Harry walking down the staircase.

"Okay. That's enough. Good to see you." Hermione said, grabbing her baby from the woman, knowing at any second she was going to be found out. 

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Riddle asked, shocked when Hermione made a beeline for the door.

"I just... I have to go. It was nice, really." Hermione called over her shoulder as she tried to make her was past Abraxas, who was blocking the door.

"Didn't he tell you he had a twin?" Harry's mother asked her, as the man who looked just like Harry came to stand next to his mother.

"Yes, but I didn't know he was identical." Hermione sputtered, not making eye contact.

"That must've been a shock." Mrs. Riddle sympathized. 

"I'm just still so confused from that train wreck." Hermione said, wondering how often she would be using the wreck as an excuse. 

"Of course. Anyone with a brain would be sensitive to that." Mrs. Riddle said, lightly pushing her now only son.

"Thank you, Mother. I'm Tom. I wish we could've met under pleasant circumstances." He said, shaking her hand. Hermione noticed that he was eyeing her with a very calculating look. She also noted how handsome he was and could see differences between the two on closer inspection. While Harry had been tan with green eyes and had a more muscular build, Tom was pale with bright blue eyes and damn he was wearing the hell out of that suit.

"Uh no, this is okay." She said, when he noticed her eyes traveling up and down his tall frame. 

"I meant, before the accident." He said making her realize just how inappropriate her behavior truly was. She had been checking her 'Dead Husband's brother out. She was definitely going to hell.

"Oh, right. Right, right, right. Would you like to hold your nephew?" Hermione said, moving so Tom could get a better look at the baby.

"He's a lovely child, Tom." His mother added from beside him.

"Luckily, he doesn't look like us." Tom said in a bored tone of voice, turning and heading into what looked to Hermione like the living room.

"Oh, Tom. Come with me, Luna."

 _I'll never get away with this._ Hermione thought to herself as she walked up the grand staircase following Mrs. Riddle to her room where she pulled a book off the bed before sitting on it, and patting the spot next to her.

"Mother Riddle.  That's what I first called my mother-in-law. She seemed so cold." Mrs. Riddle spoke, as Hermione joined her on the bed.

"What did you end up calling her?" Hermione asked, as the woman opened up the book, revealing to her that it was a scrapbook.

"Oh Mother Riddle. She was cold." Harry's mother laughed. "I had these made when Harry said you were coming. Old pictures of the boys to torment you with during our visit." She said looking through the book herself now.

"They're cute." Hermione smiled at a photo of what appeared to be Harry and Tom fighting.

"Harry was very embarrassed by this one of him naked. Except for the cowboy hat. You're only in college once, I suppose." She paused to collect herself, "Well. I cannot cry anymore. Call me Merope."

"Merope." Hermione smiled.

"He's so adorable. Thank you for keeping this one safe." Merope squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

"Thank you." Hermione said, as she watched Merope leave the room.

"Can Mommy go to prison for this? Can you say 5-to-10?" She spoke to her baby... Harry.  She gently placed the sleeping baby in the cradle by her bed.

 

*

 

"Where'd he find her? Where'd they meet?" Tom said to his mother while making himself a martini.

"What do you mean?" She asked, signaling for him to make her one also, to which he rolled his eyes and poured her a glass of water.

"Well, she's hardly in his..." Tom trailed off looking for the right word. 

"Class." His mother finished for him, giving him the same disapproving look she'd been giving him since Hermione arrived that morning.

"Frankly, yes. The water, Mother." Tom said as Merope reached for his martini. "Admit it, there's a bit of white trash on the edges." He said sitting down on the sofa across from her.

"How'd I ever raise such a snob?" Merope wondered allowed, a small smile on her lips.

"It's a mystery, Mother. Let's ask the servants." He shot back, sipping his drink.

"I demand that you at least give her a chance." His mother spoke in a stern voice.

"I'm sorry. Does it sound like I prejudged her?" Tom said, pretending to be distraught.

 "White trash"? No, no." She laughed lightly.

"Is that a derogatory term?" Tom said jokingly to her noticing her anger slowly building.

"I'm serious, Tom. Maybe she's a wonderful, down-to-earth girl." Merope rationed. 

"But what do we know? Nothing! Except that Harry brought her, expecting us to welcome her... with open arms. If he wasn't dead, you'd be screaming at him." Tom said, with his finger tracing the top of his glass, his face looking bored again.

"You can be insensitive sometimes." His mother said, staring at him and sipping her water.

"Sometimes? I must be slipping." He mused.

 

*

 

"Sorry, I overslept." Hermione apologized walking down the grand staircase with James sleeping softly in her arms. She had taken to calling her baby James, since she had honestly not thought about baby names the entire pregnancy. A part of her also thought she owed Harry because he was a kind man who had taken pity on her, and Hermione knew that if she hadn't been in his compartment she and James would have died in the train accident.

"They're all waiting for you." Merope said, meeting Hermione at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Who's all waiting?" Hermione asked not knowing the family had visitors over.

"Just family. Mrs. Riddle, Tom and the Father." Hermione sighed relieved that it was only one new face to lie too.

"I'm dying to meet him. He never stopped talking about him." Hermione said, feigning excitement. 

"Father Albus is the Monsignor. Harry's father died." Merope said leading Hermione into the dinning room, giving her a confused look before dropping the subject. 

"Right." Hermione thought noticing how frail Merope seemed to be. She'd first fallen sick when her husband passed, and now Harry. Too much. Hermione squeezed her hand reassuringly, before going to the right side of the table that was vacant. Merope was sitting at the head of the table with Tom to her left and an older man who she could only assume was Father Albus.

"Sorry I was late." She said forcing an apologetic smile.

"This is Father Albus Dumbledore." Tom introduced, looking rather bored.

"Pleased to meet you." Hermione said, reaching with the hand that wasn't holding James, to shake his hand across the table.

"It's a pleasure." He smiled, his soft blue eyes twinkling.

"Harry spoke of you often and with affection." Hermione said, trying to think

"Oh, that's so touching. I haven't seen him since his first communion." Albus laughed, taking a sip of his tea.

"Oh, well, it made a big impression." Hermione sputtered. She had no idea what to say now.

"He was a fine man. He'll be missed." Albus said, patting her hand from across the table.

"Thank you. And thank you for so generously welcoming me here." Hermione smiled at Merope.

"When Tom and Harry were small..." Merope started, but was interrupted. "Your pills." Abraxas said handing her a small cup with two small pills in it.

"I took them. Before." Merope said, waving him off.

"Take your pills." Abraxas said, in a more forceful tone of voice.

"Who works for who here?" Merope said, getting an attitude. 

"Mother." Tom said, and seeing that she was outnumbered she swallowed the pills.

"Oh, shoot! I'm so sorry." Hermione said, as the sleeve of her shirt went into the soup the maid had just sat on the table.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Mrs. Riddle!" The maid spoke in a slightly scared tone of voice.

"It's no problem, really. The clothes are a little big. After the baby I guess I lost a little..." 

"Height?" Tom snarked, raising an eyebrow. "Mother says I was rude and unfriendly when we met." Tom went on.

"You weren't rude." Hermione spoke evenly maintaining eye contact with Tom. She could sense the underlying challenge in his words, and she was never one to cower.

"Just unfriendly then? That's good. Gives us something to build on." Tom said, giving her a charming smile that everyone in the room could tell was fake. 

"Forgive Tom. He hasn't yet mastered conversational skills. So, where in Hong Kong did you meet?" Merope asked, changing the subject after sensing the tension between the two.

"The library." Hermione answered, she had almost completely forgotten her backstory.

"The library?" Tom questioned, his lips forming into a smug smile.

"Sure. They have beautiful libraries there, you ought to go." She smiled at him, trying to calm herself down.

"Paris must've been ideal for a wedding, Luna."  

"Oh, yes. So... Beautiful"

"Tell us about the wedding." Tom challenged. He was really starting to grate on her nerves.

"Well, it was beautiful." Hermione started.

"You said that could you elaborate?" He smiled that annoying smile and Hermione honestly was really starting to hate him.

"Well, we had a very small ceremony on a hill overlooking the Eiffel Tower." Hermione said, running her hands over James' cheek.  

"I would've been there, had he picked up the phone." Tom said, looking away. Hermione could tell that he was angry with Harry even after everything that had happened. "It was spur-of-the-moment. I don't blame you. Harry just didn't think about it." Tom spoke, betrayal lacing his words.

"I know he wasn't always responsible, and it may have looked like thoughtlessness. But to me, and I know I knew him such a short time... There was a kindness about him that was sweeter...because it was so thoughtless. He was one of the only people who was kind without a reason. Not because he wanted something but just because."

"You understood him. I never did. I thought there'd be time to figure him out." Tom said, loosing the smugness altogether.

He talked about you all the time. "We look alike, that's why we act so different."' Hermione said gently, trying to help him out of having to show real emotion in front of her.

"I thought he didn't tell you." Tom said, the suspicion returning to the conversation.

"He did. Of course he did. It was just when I saw you it slipped my mind." She said trying to cover her tracks, before he found out her little secret.

"Of course it did. We understand." Merope said, pushing another glass of water towards her.

"But why lie about it?" Tom asked, propping a hand under his chin with a smile on his lips.

"When I saw you I was so confused. I'm sorry, I have to lie down. I'm going to my room." Hermione said abruptly standing up, adjusting the was she was holding James and left the room. Merope, Albus, and Tom all stood and watched her race up the stairs as fast as she possibly could with James in her arms.

"What were you doing?" Merope turned on Tom the second Hermione was out of earshot. 

"Her answers weren't consistent." Tom answered lazily, talking a sip of his bourbon.

"This is not a cross-examination. She's been through hell." Merope scolded him.

"She's covering something up. I mean, look at her! A banker's daughter? My ass! Sorry, Father." Tom said, only just now remembering who was still seated next to him.

"No, "ass" is fine. Right?" Merope asked Father Albus.

"Well, the Philistines with the bone of an ass. I think that was ass in a different..."

 '"Ass" is fine." Merope said interrupted him getting impatient.

"She's hiding something." Tom argued, trying not to get angry with his mother, knowing her weakened state of health and how sensitive her heart could be.

"She's Harry's widow and she has just given birth to my grandson under tons of metal. I don't care if she's a drug lord, I'm going to help her! Unless you treat her with respect I'll take you and spank you! And don't think I can't do it!" Merope said raising her voice at him.

"Abraxas." Tom said hoping for him to change the subject.

"My money's on her." Abraxas laughed, taking the glass of bourbon away from him, and with that Tom said goodnight to his mother, and Father Albus and went up the stairs to his office. 

 


End file.
